How to Prepare Soil for Planting

March 2, 2016

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Growing plants and flowers is not such an easy thing like many people think it is. The soil is very important, as it will determine how healthy and beautiful your plants and flowers will be. If you do not know anything about this aspect, then here is how to prepare soil for planting.

First of all, you need to know how healthy your soil is

Before you actually do anything you must know exactly how healthy your soil is. By determining your soil’s health you will actually find out what minerals are lacking or abundant in it.With a soil test you will be able to measure the levels of soil pH, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and even nitrogen. After this test, you will know exactly how healthy your soil is and what to add in order to improve it.

The next step is to improve your soil

It is very important to improve your soil, so that all your plants and flowers can grow healthy and beautifully. Therefore, the best way to prepare soil for planting is to add growing cover crops or mulch. Chemical fertilizers will actually replenish just some nutrients, and this is why they are not recommended at all. On the other hand, organic matter will certainly supply everything your flowers and plants need.

Soil oxygen is essential

Soil organisms that help plants grow healthy, need to survive and this will happen only if there is enough oxygen in the soil. If your soil is dense, then it definitely has little air. On the other hand, in case it is sandy, then you will deal with an excessive amount of air, which can lead to a rapid decomposition of organic matter. What you need to do is to avoid working your soil in case it is very wet, and not walk on it, unless it is necessary. Moreover, you must add organic matter, which will help balance the air supply.

Watering plays without a doubt a very important role

If you want your soil to be healthy, then it needs to be about 25% water. In sandy soils, the water will quickly drain through, and it certainly cannot be used by plants. On the other hand, clay or dense soils will get waterlogged and this will suffocate soil organisms and plant roots as well. Therefore, it is highly recommended to add organic matter in order to improve the structure of your soil. Organic matter will hold the water so that your plants and flowers can use it when they need it. It is essential to know how to prepare soil for planting, so that you have a wonderful garden with healthy plants.